Ealing Paralympian to Inspire Young Athletes

---

Hilmy Shawwal helps launch free summer sports programme

Hilmy Shawwal the wheelchair racer was raised in Ealing and competed for Tanzania

July 21, 2026

Young people across Ealing will have the chance to get active, gain new skills and meet a Paralympian this summer, as Everyone Active and Ealing Council launch a borough-wide programme of free holiday camps, coaching sessions and qualifications.

The initiative, running throughout August at leisure centres and sports sites across Ealing, will give hundreds of children and teenagers access to athletics, swimming, gym sessions and even lifeguard training — with free places available through the national Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme for those eligible for benefit-related free school meals.

One of the highlights of the summer will be a special visit from Hilmy Shawwal, the wheelchair racer raised in Ealing who became the first Tanzanian athlete to compete in the sport at the Paralympics during Paris 2024. Hilmy, who previously raced for Team Ealing at the London Youth Games and trained with the Weir Archer Academy, will join the final day of the athletics camp at Perivale Park Athletics Track in August.

As one of Everyone Active’s Sporting Champions, Hilmy will present awards at the camp’s closing competition and meet participants — offering young athletes the chance to hear from someone who began on a local track just like they are.

Lizzie Rice, Activity and Wellbeing Manager for Everyone Active in Ealing, said, “We want young people in Ealing to have the chance to try something new this summer, build their confidence and make friends, whatever their background.

“Having Hilmy join us at our athletics camp will be a brilliant moment for the young people — he’s proof of what’s possible when you start out on a track just like they are. We’re really proud of the range of activities we’ve put together this summer, and we’d encourage families to book on early as places always go quickly.”

The athletics camp runs from Monday 10 August to Friday 14 August, with young people learning and practising running, jumping and throwing events before taking part in a friendly competition on the Friday. The awards ceremony, featuring Hilmy, will take place at 3pm.

Some sessions will take place at Perivale Athletics Track

Teenagers aged 14 and 15 can also complete a free Assistant Track and Field Official qualification delivered by England Athletics alongside the camp — offering a pathway into officiating, coaching or volunteering.

Elsewhere in the programme, 16-year-olds can sign up for a National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) course, giving them the certification required to work as a lifeguard at leisure centres across the borough. Younger participants can access junior gym memberships, while a golf camp at Brent Valley Golf Course adds another option for those keen to try something different.

Free places across the programme are available through the HAF scheme, with lunch provided for eligible children. Paid-for places are also available for families not covered by HAF.

Families can book places here.

Everyone Active operates leisure centres and sports facilities across Ealing, including Acton Centre, Dormers Wells Leisure Centre, Northolt Leisure Centre, Brent Valley Golf Course, Reynolds Sports Centre, Elthorne Sports Centre, Greenford Sports Centre, Perivale Park Golf Course, Perivale Park Athletics Track and Swift Road Outdoor Sports Centre.

 

Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site.